The perfect chocolate chip cookies (makes 20)

Ingredients

250g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

180g unsalted butter (melted)

200g light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

325g chocolate chips

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C/ 325f/ Gas mark 3. Grease baking trays or line with parchment

2. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt; set aside

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.

4. Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking trays, with each cookie around 4 tablespoons of dough (for smaller cookies, drop 1 rounded tablespoon and adjust baking times as necessary). Do not flatten the dough. Cookies should be about 8cm apart.

5. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the pre-heated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Add whatever your heart desires to these cookies to personalise them, my faves are a mix of both white and milk chocolate chips as well as smarties... go wild.

Alex Marshall